Grendel's Mother by Diana Stout

. . . Her family, outraged by the unwanted pregnancy, sacrifices her to the local dragon who, intrigued by her bravery, saves her from clear death. Alone in the wilderness, she becomes one with Nature, then raises a monster no one wants. She is Grendel's Mother. . .

     Set in the late-5th, early 6th century in Denmark, Grendel’s Mother is the journey of a girl who dreams of freedom, with a desire to marry the young many she loves, when her father tells her that she'll wed a widower with young children instead. Then, a horrific event changes her life forever. Pregnant and having brought shame to her family and community, she is sacrificed to the dragon for death, but the dragon saves her instead, unbeknownst to her family and the community.

     Grendel’s Mother is the story of social injustice, a girl’s love for Nature where she discovers special skills that enable her to survive, to give birth, and to raise a baby—deemed a monster—in the wild, entirely on her own. From his birth on, she battles to keep Grendel safe from himself and, then later, from others who would do him harm.

Our Review:

     A remarkable story, told in narrative style, is gripping for its intensity, savage for its description of Her bravery and drive to survive the horrors Nature often brings to one alone and seemingly defenseless. She is intrepid. And inspiring.

On a scale of 1-5, Grendel's Mother deserves a 6.

Kat Henry Doran, Wild Women Reviews